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Now Airbnb to provide accommodation in PyeongChang for winter Olympics

Olympics - 22 Nov 2017

Author: Callum Murray

Airbnb, the online home rental marketplace, has signed an
agreement with organisers of next year’s winter Olympic Games in PyeongChang to
provide accommodation for visitors amid concerns over a lack of rooms and high
prices.

Airbnb provided a similar service at last year’s Olympic Games
in Rio de Janeiro.

Airbnb said that it would work with the local community in
PyeongChang to offer accommodation options during the games, scheduled for 9 to
25 February, 2018.

It had earlier signed a separate agreement with Gangwon
Province, where Pyeongchang is located, to provide lodging and promotional
support for the games.

Airbnb accommodation in the area has risen by 30 per cent in
six months from 1,650 in December last year to 2,134 in June, the company said.

Chris Lehane, Airbnb’s head of global policy and public
affairs, added: “With the eyes of the world focused on Pyeongchang, our
community is stepping up and providing guests with unique and local travel
experiences.”

In Rio, 48,000 Airbnb listings housed 85,000, or 17 per
cent, of the city’s estimated 500,000 visitors, according to the company.

For those games, Airbnb, which allows homeowners to rent out
their properties on a temporary basis, beat off competition from two other
accommodation providers, Hotel Urbano and Alugue Temporada.